much looking for things。
Of course she would。
She stepped inside her room and flopped down on the king…size bed to listen； her eyes darting
around the room as she did so； taking it all in。 It was small and shabby…chic； erring on the shabby
side； the gold accents on the curtains and bedspread and the Regency blue？patterned wallpaper the
only attempts at grandeur。 It wasn？t exactly the Plaza； but therewas a hot English lord living next
door。
Yes； yes？everything wasmore than all right。
what boarding schoolers do when they？re bored
It was already five in the afternoon by the time Jenny and her father arrived at the Croton School；
in Croton Falls； New York。 Rufus？s weekly wine and beat poetry night with his weirdo anarchist
poet cronies was starting in an hour at a speakeasy in Greenwich Village； and he was getting antsy。
Croton was only an hour and a half from the city by train； and Jenny was anxious to ditch him；
anyway； so she offered to take the train home。
？Don？t get off at 125th Street；？ Rufus advised； even though the stop was closest to their
apartment。 He handed Jenny three twenty…dollar bills。 ？Go all the way to Grand Central and then
get a cab。 And call me when you？re leaving so I can tell your brother when to expect you。？
Like Dan really cared if sheever came home。 Lately Dan had been so preoccupied； he barely
seemed to remember that they used to kind of be friends。
Jenny kissed her father on the cheek。 It was cute how he babied her； but she was almost
fifteen？she could take care of herself。 ？Have a nice night； Daddy；？ she told him sweetly。 She
waved good…bye as the battered navy blue Volvo station wagon disappeared down the road。 Then
she unbuttoned her blouse another notch and stepped inside a cute red clapboard house with a gold
plaque on its hunter…green…painted door that read ADMISSIONS； eager to meet her Croton tour
guide。
？You！？ a male voice crowed enthusiastically as soon as she opened the door。 ？It？s you！？
Jenny？s pretty red mouth dropped open in shock。 Leering at her from across the quaintly
decorated admissions office reception area was a more masculine； less flamboyantly dressed clone
of Chuck Bass。 Same European…aftershave…mercial…handsome face； same slicked…back dark
hair； same cocky smile； same perverted twinkle in the eye。 He walked over and held out his hand；
a gold monogrammed pinky ring flashing on his right hand。 ？I？m your tour guide。 Name？s Harold
Bass。 Call me Harry。 You may know my cousin Charles Bass？goes by Chuck。 He told me all about
you。 And of course I？ve seen your pictures on the ？Net。？
Oh； God。
Jenny mustered a smile。 Chuck Bass had nearly deflowered her in a stall in a ladies？ room in the
old Barneys building during her first dressy benefit party that fall； and Jenny was still a little
scared of him。 But the Basses were a powerful Upper East Side family notorious for their
philanthropy and decadence and the wild ways of their fucked…up children。 If Chuck？s cousin
liked it at Croton； then it was probably just the sort of school Jenny was looking for。
？Don？t be put off by how straitlaced everything seems here； Jennifer；？ Harry advised； his white
teeth flashing。 He shoved his hands in the pockets of his cool light blue linen Zegna trousers；
which he was wearing with straw flip…flops？very prep…school…boy…goes…to…the…beach。 ？We
basically party； like； eighty percent of the time； sleep fifteen percent of the time； eat five percent of
the time； and study whenever we have time left over； which is； like； never。？
Jenny grinned。 That sounded fine？just fine。
Harry Bass pressed his lips together and cocked his head as if he were sizing her up。 ？e on。
There are some people I？d like you to meet。？
Her heart racing with eager anticipation； Jenny followed him out of the building and down a long
sloping pebbled walkway that curved behind a row of pretty brick buildings with black wooden
shutters in the windows。 The walkway ended in a narrow dirt path that led along the banks of a
quaint little duck pond and into the heavily forested woods。 ？It？s just a little bit farther；？ Harry
explained； his flip…flops flapping against his heels。
Jenny hesitated； wondering what on earth the people he wanted her to meet were doing in the
middle of the woods。 Was she about to be a part of one of those peculiar boarding school traditions
she？d read so much about； like bonfires and midnight skinny…dipping？ In the middle of the pond a
mallard with a dark green head was quacking loudly at a demure brown duck； trying to get her
attention。 Jenny couldn？t help but marvel at how strange it was to have spent a whole day in the
country after spending her entire life until now on the island of Manhattan。
？Where are we going？？ she called to Harry as she hurried to keep up。
Before he could answer； a girl in a fire…engine red bikini stepped onto the path about fifty feet
ahead of them。 ？Hey； Bass！？ She shouted so loudly； the leaves seemed to shake in the trees
overhead。 ？You and your new girlfriend better get your asses over here before we finish all the
you…know…what！？
？ing！？ Harry shouted back。 He chuckled at Jenny。 ？e on。 You know you want to。？
He evensounded like his cousin。
Now that she was sure she and Harry weren？t going to be alone in the woods； Jenny felt more
confident about following him。 It was cooler in the shade of the trees and smelled of wet moss。 All
of a sudden they came upon a group of five guys and four girls； sitting in a circle； wearing bathing
suits or shorts and T…shirts； the rest of their clothes scattered at the base of a nearby tree。 Some of
them were drinking cans of Coors； some of them were smoking cigarettes； and all of them looked
extremely happy to be there。
The girl in the red bikini？skinny and pale； with long； shiny light brown hair and beautiful hazel
eyes？held out her palms to them。 ？One more minute and you…know…who was gonna e along
and nab these；？ she told them with a bright smile。 Jenny stared at the girl？s palms； which were
dotted with little white pills。
？April； you rock。？ Harry scooped a tab of Ecstasy out of the girl？s hands and popped it in his
mouth。 ？Go on； Jennifer；？ he urged Jenny； pointing at April？s outstretched palms。 ？The quicker
you eat one； the quicker you？ll fall in love with me。？ He grinned devilishly。 ？I mean； our school。？
Oh； really？
Jenny had been offered drugs before。 She？d even been stoned once； with Nate Archibald； the first
day they？d met； in Sheep Meadow in Central Park。 She？d fallen in love with him that day and had
stayed in love with him until he broke her heart on New Year？s Eve。 Probably if she hadn？t been
stoned； she？d have understood that she and Nate had only just met and that she needed to get to
know him a lot better before she kissed him。
She reached out to pinch one of the tabs of Ecstasy out of April？s hand with no intention of
actually ingesting it。 It was so tiny； no one would even notice。
？Yum；？ she cooed； pretending to be delighted as she cupped her hand over her mouth and let the
teeny pill fall past her chin and cascade down into h